Surviving a girls' boarding school!
by Gemina
Summary: Has anyone else noticed it's always Tenten disguising herself as a boy and going to an all boys boarding school? Well, now Neji will have to disguise himself, to go with Hinata and protect her at school. Reviews will be read over and over!
1. In which Hideaki is embarassed

Neji looked in the mirror and sighed. He was getting ready for the most humiliating day of his life.

He was going to school.

But not just any school.

The Konoha Academy for Girls. That's right. Girls.

His Uncle Hiashi had informed a week ago that he would be going with Hinata to protect her. And he had a week to put together a good disguise. Neji was going to a girl's school disguised as a girl. Humiliating.

Now Neji was looking in the mirror at himself. In his mind, he looked ridiculous. He'd untied his hair, put on some makeup, and now he was wearing a skirt. That was definitely something he never thought he'd have to do, and he found it uncomfortable. The worst part was, of course, when his elder cousin, Hideaki, had come home with a package for him, marked Inflate-a-Boob. Made even more embarassing, because it actually had his name on it. His Uncle had been nice enough to use Neji's name instead of his own.

Name.

That's right, he wouldn't even have his own name anymore. His new name was Hana. It sounded like a shortened version of Hanabi to him. Apparently, he had be named an 'H' name, but it couldn't be one that someone else had. Stupid Hyuuga elders.

Luckily ( or unluckily) the school had a uniform, so he wouldn't have to figure out outfits or anything. Unfortunately the uniform was a skirt and blouse. And ( as mentioned before) a skirt was definitely not comfortable.

Hiashi knocked at the door. " Let's see, Neji."

Neji quickly walked over and opened the door. He felt very uncomfortable as his Uncle looked him up and down. Finally, Hiashi nodded.

" That will do."

Neji resisted the urge to scramble back into his room, and bowed slowly and walked back into his room in a dignified manner. He wasn't going to give Hiashi any more amusement than necessary. He probably should have walked faster.

" Neji. Stop."

Neji stopped and turned around.

" Your walk is all wrong. Go get pointers from HMai-Li."

Anything but that. Anything but that. HMai-Li was most unlike any Hyuuga ever. She was only Hyuuga who would actually roll around on the floor laughing at him. It just had to be her. Neji bowed obediently and left.

--

HMai-li was of course surprised when Neji came into her kitchen. The young cook was even more surprised when Neji told her why he was there. Then she rolled on the floor laughing at Neji and his outfit. Then at what he had to learn from her. When she finally stopped laughing, she tried to teach Neji how to walk like a girl.

" Come on Neji, stop being so stiff! Just sway your hips back and forth while you walk. No Neji, no, not like that, just a little, that's better Neji, yes that's better...Oh come on Neji! Do you want guys thinking you're flirting with them?! Just a little..."

And so it went.

By the time Neji got out of HMai-Li's kitchen, he had figured out how to look at least slightly like a girl when he was alking, but he vowed to himself that he would continue to walk as he had always walked.

That night after washing off the makeup and changing into normal guy clothes, he went to bed, and had terrible nightmares of the next day, when he would go to school. 


	2. So much for cousins!

**Even though no one has reviewed, I'll be updating this anyway!**

**I own almost nothing! Except the principal and her relative. And even those aren't copyrighted!**

Hinata sat nervously in the car next to her cousin, who was dressed up as a girl.

And it was her fault.

At the moment, she was trying to think of some way to apologize without Hiashi ( who was driving) noticing.

Neji, on the other hand, was scowling at the back of Hiashi's head with all his might. Any second Hiashi looked, however, he took on a stone expression. Last thing he needed was a curse seal activation on the first day of school.

Hiashi was busily informing Hinata what sort of behaviour he would expect from her.

Top grades, good behaviour, no boyfriends, blah, blah, blah.

Suddenly, Hiashi turned around and looked at Neji. " You got that?"

Neji stared back blankly. He hadn't been paying attention. He'd thought that Hiashi had been talking to Hinata the whole time.

He nodded obediently. It was probably something he wouldn't do anyway.

Hiashi nodded approvingly.

" Good, because I wouldn't want you looking trampy."

Neji knew he had missed something important. He made a mental note to ask Hinata what Hiashi had said later.

Hiashi pulled up to the school.

" Here we are."

The school was huge. It had big picture windows, light brick walls, and red roofing. It had gardens with pebble paths winding through them. And, it had a giant platypus fountain, right in the middle of the circular drive way.

Neji's eyebrows shot up his forehead. A platypus?!

Girls were walking around, talking, and basically being social. They all stopped what they were doing, however, to stare at Hinata and Neji as the got out of the car and walked with Hiashi up the front steps.

Hinata immediately starting doing her finger thing, and tried to hide behind Neji. All apologies she had been formulating in her head were forgotten. She was glad he was there.

Neji frowned at her. Hadn't Hinata ever heard of personal space?

They all entered into a large, empty hall. A large chandelier hung from the ceiling, and light flooded in from the picture windows, making little rainbows appear everywhere. It was actually kind of pretty.

Hinata relaxed considerably and stopped trying to blend into Neji.

A tall, elegant woman came gliding down the steps.

" Hyuuga Hiashi, I presume?"

And that was how it all started. Hiashi quickly made his way through all formalities, informed the woman of their ages and what grades they were in, and took off, leaving them alone with the woman, whose name was still a mystery to them.

As soon as Hiashi was gone, the woman rung a bell. A big, strong looking guy appeared, and took their suitcases away. Neji wondered what that guy was doing in an all girl school. If it is truly an all girl school, shouldn't the staff be all female as well?

The woman turned to them and cleared her throat. " I am Ishida Noriko, and I am the principle of this school. I do not tolerate laziness, nor tardiness, so you had better be on your best behaviour while you are at this school."

The big strong guy reappeared. The Principle gestured towards him.

" This is Ishida Hiroshi. He will show you to your rooms."

One mystery solved. They're related. That's what that guy was doing at an all girls school.

Hiroshi was the name of one of Neji's cousins. One he particularily disliked. Hopefully, this Hiroshi would be less...condescending.

Hiroshi walked them down a long hallway. The white lights hanging from the ceiling were blinding. It was giving Neji a headache. After all, Hyuuga have sensitive eyes.

"Because you are sisters, you'll be sharing a room." Announced Hiroshi, as he unlocked a room and ushered them in.

Neji stiffened. ' Hiashi told them I was her sister?!'

Hinata looked at him apologetically.

" You have the morning to get settled in, then you must join us at lunch, and the classes afterward. If you need more time for some reason, contact the principle."

With that, Hiroshi left Hinata and Neji to unpack.

**If you don't mind, I would really really like a review of some sort! I just dicovered, you can review your own story, isn't that weird?**


	3. THESE girls are the quiet ones!

**Hey, me again, I do not own any of this!**

Neji carefully organized his uniforms, and then his weekend outfits. At least he would get to wear something comfy on the weekends. He started to sort his socks. Then he heard Hinata sniffling. He turned around.

" Why are you crying Hinata?"

Her face reddened and she hid it in the shirt she was holding.

" I'm not crying,"

She started, in a muffled voice.

" Ninjas never cry."

Neji rolled his eyes and went back to sorting his socks. Then he heard her sniffling again.

" Well, if you're not crying, then stop making such disgusting noises."

Suddenly, Hinata latched onto him and bawled loudly. Neji was, of course, startled by her behaviour, but he handled it in a typical Neji way.

" Hinata! What the heck are you doing?! Get off me!"

With that, he shoved her off. She went back to sniffling.

" I'm sorry, nii-san, I just--Father sent me here--sniff!-- he didn't want me at-- he just got rid of--"

Hinata bawled loudly again. Neji felt some pity for her. After all, she had a lot to live up to, and she hadn't exactly been born with the necessary skills to do it. Fate had shortchanged her. He slid onto her bed, and gave her a hug.

He couldn't think of anything reassuring to say, because, after all, Hiashi had sent her away because she was weak. He didn't want her at home. It made him angry, the way Hiashi treated Hinata. He wanted to do something about it. He didn't, however, want to be Hinata's counselor and comforter. If anything, he wanted to stop Hiashi, tell him that what he was doing was downright wrong. Of course, he couldn't, because he was a Branch family member, so all that was left was comforting. Which was awkard for him, he'd never been good at things involving emotions.

Hinata relaxed. A hug was all she needed, for the moment. She sat up.

" Sorry I got you stuck here too, Neji."

She gave him an apologetic smile. Neji smiled back. He wasn't sure what he should say, however, because, if he said it was no big deal, he'd be lying, but if he said she should be sorry, he'd hurt her feelings. So he left it at a smile, which seemed to put Hinata in a better mood, and she went back to unpacking.

Neji finished sorting his socks in peace.

Later, Neji and Hinata entered the lunchroom. Hinata cowered behind Neji, as if the other girls were hungry predators. Neji, of course, felt self-conscious in his skirt. He made his way to the lunch line, Hinata following him like a shadow. When he reached the line, a tall blonde girl immediately turned around.

She smiled like a Barbie.

" You must be the new girls! Are you sisters?!"

Neji smiled back.

" No, we're complete strangers who happen to look related."

The blonde was immediately confused. She turned around without another word.

Hinata giggled. Neji elbowed her lightly to silence her, though he did give her a smile. A girl with pink hair walked up behind them. She smiled at them too.

" Hi, you must be the new girls, I'm Sakura. What years are you two in?"

Neji remained rather stoic, more like his normal self. He nodded back.

" I'm Hana, and this is Hinata. I'm a second year, and she's a first year."

Hinata smiled shyly from behind him. Sakura smiled warmly back.

" You're in the same year as me. I'll help you get settled in."

And with that, she lead Hinata away to meet other first years, leaving Neji all by himself in foreign territory. And poor Hinata without lunch. Hinata really should get a backbone, Neji thought to himself, shaking his head sagely. He managed to get some lunch for himself, loading up his plate with pizza, an apple, a chicken salad, and a piece of pie for dessert. He quickly plopped down at the nearest empty spot.

" Excuse you, this table is for the Platypuses."

Neji almost choked laughing on his pizza.

He looked up at the girls sitting at the table. They were all wearing purple and pink sport uniforms of some sort, and they were looking at him like he was something disgusting they'd just scraped off their shoe.

Neji was undaunted by them and continued to eat. He was an expert in martial arts, if they gave him any trouble, he could easily handle it.

"Like, omigosh! You're, like, a pig. How can you eat that much?"

Neji looked back up at the girl wearing the cheerleader uniform. He rolled his eyes.

" Like, are you mute or something?"

Neji looked back up from his food.

" I'm eating. It is customary not to talk with your mouth full."

The other girls did not look at all pleased with what he had just said. One by one, they all left to another table, since they could see that he wouldn't move.

They whispered and laughed and drew over at their new table. Neji had a feeling it had something to do with him, but he could have cared less. He had five minutes to find his new classroom.

Neji made his way to History class. Hinata wasn't in it, but tht also meant the pinkhaired girl wouldn't be there, so it was a double plus.

He wondered how Hinata was doing. She couldn't be too badly off, seeing as she had a guide. She should be fine without him for a while.

In History class, he ended up sitting near a girl with really really long hair, and a girl with buns. He decided to ignore them, and pay attention to the teacher completely.

Which proved to be a difficult task.

Neji frowned deeply as the girl with long hair leaned behind him again to whisper to the other girl. If they were going to talk so much, why didn't they just get seats next to each other, instead of leaning over him all the time?!

And he could care less about what they thought of the teacher's looks. The teacher was too old for them anyway. He even had white hair for crying out loud!

When class was finally over, he was determined to get a different desk, and immediately proceeded to the desk, where his teacher was reading a book poorly disguised as a history text.

He cleared his throat to get the man's attention. The man did not look up.

" What do you want, Hana?"

He already knew his (fake) name. Impressive. Neji smiled.

" Can I get a different desk? The girls I am in between are always talking, and I can't hear a word you're saying."

The teacher snorted.

" Sorry, Hana, but every girl in this class talks to each other during my lectures. You actually got one of the quieter pairs."

Neji's eyebrows shot up his forehead. THEY were the quiet ones?! He was not going to have a good time at this school.

**Did you like it? If you did, please review, because I really do love feedback! By the way, I have a poll on my profile, and I would really like it if you would vote on it, because it will affect which stories I spend the most time on. ( I'm stretching my imagination like butter scraped across too much bread!)**


	4. Neji is such an artist!

**Hey me again, I only own the ideas, not the characters!**

**Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you really spurred me on!**

Neji changed into his pajamas before Hinata got back. He wore something really loose, so his sudden lack of cleavage wasn't too apparent. He settled down to read.

Hinata came in with a bang a few minutes later, her eyes wide. She smiled at Neji. Neji nodded back. Then he went back to reading.

" Neji, guess what?"

It was Hinata, and she had climbed onto his bed. She was smiling up at him, probably expecting him to ask what. He wasn't going to, of course, because guessing games were for idiots. He went back to his book. Hinata continued anyway.

" I have friends! Sakura introduced me to this girl named Ino, who introduced me to Sasame, and Isaribi, and Hokuto, and"  
She was cut off by Neji, who rolled his eyes and made a gesture for her to hurry up and get to the point. She blushed slightly when she realised she had been rambling.

" Anyway, so now I have people to hang out with. Did you make any friends today, Neji?"

Neji shook his head, continuing to read. Hinata gasped.

" I'm sorry! Here I was, going on and on about all the friends I have, and you don't have any! You can hang out with me and my friends, if you want."

If anyone else had said that, Neji probably would have punched them. This, however, was Hinata, and she meant it in only the best possible way. He shook his head, and turned another page.

" Hinata, my goal while I'm here is not to make friends. I'm supposed to be protecting you, remember?"

Hinata nodded, but she was thinking about how terrible it would be to go through the whole school year with no friends. She just had to get Neji a friend, at least one.

At breakfast, Hinata schemed with her newfound friends while Neji sat uninvited at another table. This time, he was surrounded by girls talking about their upcoming play, and their costumes. He could've cared less if the girl with long pink hair thought she looked cute in a bunny costume. Or if everyone thought she played the flute really well. But he didn't move, because it was just lunch. Not like he had any place better to be or something. The girls did seem disgusted by his appetite though.

" How on earth does she eat that much? Does she have four stomachs?"

" I know! You'd think her stomach would explode!"

" How is she still skinny?!"

" I wish I could eat like that...I hate her!"

And so on. Neji left as soon as he was done.

Hinata, meanwhile, had come up with quite a few plans, one of which she was about to enact.

She and Ino each grabbed one of Neji's elbows as he walked by, and yanked him towards their table.

Then they both let go, and Ino smiled brightly, as if she hadn't just dragged him there against his will. He scowled at her for second, and then, to his horror, he found himself face to face with an older Ino look alike! Like any human being in their right mind, he jumped back.

The Ino look alike smiled at him.

" Hi, I'm Deidara, un!"

Neji already hated her. He quickly turned on his heel and left.

Hinata and Ino watched him leave with disappointment. This meant plan B would have to be enacted.

Neji sat calmly in art/drama class. He was learning something about Van Gogh from his book, as he waited for the teacher to arrive. He had gotten there early so he could have some solitude. It was hard to find any in this school.

Unfortunately, he only got a short period of solitude, because apparently, other people had the same idea. Including that girl with buns and the other one with ridiculously long hair. Luckily, he hadn't chosen a seat between them, but he had chosen one next the girl with ridiculously long hair. He seemed to be cursed or something.

Both of them sat down, giggling about something or other and chattering excitedly. Neji ignored them almost completely.

Neji watched as more girls came in, some busy putting on makeup, or adjusting their hair. Neji wondered why they were so worried about their appearance in an all girls school.

Then, their teacher came in. He had pale white skin, even paler then Neji's, if that was possible, and black hair, that matched his black eyes. He wore black. Neji looked at the other girls in his class, who were staring at the teacher with heart eyes as he began to explain what they were doing that day.

Neji shifted his attention to the teacher.

Oh great, they were going to paint a representation of themselves. Neji helped move the desks and set up the easels. Then he stood blankly in front of the blank paper. Then he thought of it. Dipping his paint brush in black paint, he painted a bird, with a few deft strokes. The girl with the ridiculously long hair looked over.

" Hey, that's a pretty good bird, mine's a horse..."

Neji wasn't finished with his painting. With a few more deft strokes, he painted a cage around it. He suddenly felt the presence of the teacher.

" Pretty good, I think we have another artist in the class..." He muttered, looking at Neji's painting intently. Neji could feel the hate from all the other girls like a crashing wave.

Cries of " What about mine?" rang through out the room, and basically ruined the rest of the class.

During the day, Neji found out he had somehow been signed up for various teams, such as basketball, archery, and cheerleading.

He probably had Hinata to thank for that. He went to the room he shared with Hinata.

Hinata was sittting inside with a bunch of her friends, and seemed to be making plans of some sort. Neji coughed. They all looked up like deer caught in the headlights. Then all the girls rushed out of the room.

Neji walked purposefully across the room towards Hinata. In his hand, he held each roster he'd been given. He held them up in front of her face.

" What is the meaning of this? Don't deny it, I know you did it."

Hinata looked slightly frightened. She cleared her throat nervously and gave him a small smile.

" T-to help you m-make friends?"

Neji groaned. He sat down next to her.

" Hinata, I told you, I am not going to make any friends here. I am supposed to be protecting you. I don't have time for all these teams. "

Hinata smiled slightly, though she still looked nervous.

" Well, you have to try out if you sign up, Neji."

Neji felt his stomach drop to his stomach. Oh great.

**Tell me what you think! And yeah, the art teacher is Sai. He seemed perfect!**


	5. Running here, there, and everywhere!

**This one's a little more looney than the rest! If you want seriousness, go read Hyuuga massacre!**

**I own nothing. And I'm getting tired of saying that.**

Neji woke up early the next morning to prepare himself. Hinata and her looney friends had signed him up for at least nine different things!

He looked at the list he had prepared again.

1. Cheerleading, 10:00, gym.

He was slightly glad this one was first, because it was the one he hated the most. He wanted to get it over quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.

2. Basketball, 11:15, gym.

He wasn't even sure how to play basketball, but he going to have to try.

3. Archery, 11:30, archery field.

It would be a close call, but he would hopefully make it on time. There were, after all, four people before him in tryouts. Archery wasn't quite his cup of tea, but it he was better at it than basketball.

4. Drama club, 12:15, auditorium.

Neji knew for a fact he wouldn't get into this one, he simply wasn't much of an actor. Besides, it wasn't like he was going to try his best or anything.

5. Dance Team, 12: 45, auditorium.

Neji was going to kill Hinata for this one. Didn't she know what skimpy outfits they wore?

6. Tennis, 1:30, tennis court.

Neji had a feeling he would be good at tennis. It seemed like a good idea, even if it meant wearing the school colors of pink and purple.

7. Softball, 2:45, softball field.

Neji would luckily have a large gap of time to take a breather here. He didn't plan on being any good, so no pressure.

8. Fencing, 3:15, gym.

He wasn't so sure about this one, he didn't really have any experience with swords.

9. Martial Arts Team, 4:00, gym.

This was definitely what Neji was looking forward to. He had trained in the martial arts since he was little, and it would be nice to be able to work with others who knew the art as well. But he didn't want to make any friends.

Luckily, that was the end of his list. He'd gotten excused from almost every class of the day for tryouts. The early morning classes were the only ones he'd be attending, along with art class in the afternoon, since he had a gap then. He was going to kill Hinata after this.

Hinata, however, did not feel one bit remorseful. Neji was bound make friends if he was on this many teams. And, boy, did he need friends.

Neji had finished getting ready and left for breakfast. Hinata pulled the blanket off her head and proceeded to get ready.

Neji once again plopped himself down uninvited at another table. He had gotten himself a huge breakfast ( as he was hungry) and once again got disapproving and jealous looks. And a few looks that looked like the girls were pitying him. They probably thought he was a bulimic or something.

This time, he was surrounded by a group of girls talking wildly about the upcoming hockey game. Apparently, these Platypuses didn't sit with the other ones, they had their own table. With good reason. They were the only ones who weren't giving Neji looks, because their breakfasts were almost as big. Apparently, they weren't ones to become ashamed easily, as they laughed and talked easily among themselves.

Neji definitely felt more at home at this table. Though these girls were thin, they weren't anorexically thin, and they didn't seem to care if others thought they were beings pigs when they took good sized portions, instead of those itty-bitty iceberg salads the cheerleaders called a meal. Neji mentally marked this table as safe, even if these girls were loud.

He noticed Hinata waving at him across the cafeteria, and ignored her. He wasn't going to be nice to her, she landed him in a terrible predicament. If she signed him up for anything else after this, she would be dead meat. He didn't care if he was supposed to be protecting her, she was majorly overstepping boundaries.

He finished his lunch and quickly made his way to Physical Science.

Neji discovered when he got there, that he was sitting next to the bunheaded girl in this class. Were those two in every one of his classes? He settled down, shaking his head. This was getting ridiculous.

He ignored them as they giggled and whispered, attempting to focus on the subject at hand, Newton's Laws.

Class went by slowly.

After Physical Science and Geometry, he was headed for his first tryout, cheerleading. He would hate to get onto it, but his perfectionist nature wouldn't allow him to do badly on purpose. His routine included a split kick and a stand-still back flip. He mentally kicked himself later for the back flip. And he wouldn't get to find out the results until tomorrow.

He headed on to basketball tryouts. And he got hit in the head. End of story. He was definitely not getting on the team.

Neji ran for his life to the next event, archery. He barely made it on time. Why hadn't Hinata looked at the time charts before she signed him up?! The coach handed him a bow and arrow. He was glad he knew how to use them.

He spotted the target, drew back, and 'zing!' got on the second farthest ring out. The coach grunted next to him.

" Not bad, let's see you do that again."

Neji did it again, and got closer to the middle this time. The coach nodded.

" That's all I need to see."

Neji took his seat. He watched as that infuriating bunheaded girl took the bow next. And then he watched as she got bullseyes, both times. The coach looked impressed. Oh well, it's not like Neji had his heart set on being on the archery team or anything. Neji ran on to his next tryout as the girl with ridiculously long hair took the bow. He didn't have time to watch.

Drama club. The second he got on the stage, he swore that lady was glaring at him. She informed him right away that he was not cut out for the theatre. She didn't even let him finish his line.

He sat and watched the girls audition while he waited for dance team tryouts. He was going to kill Hinata for this one.

When it was finally time, they actually expected him to freestyle to music he didn't know. Fat chance. He just stood there in the middle of the dance floor until thay said he could leave.

He jogged to the tennis court. Now this was something he was good at. He was surprised ( though he really shouldn't have been) when he was matched up with the bunheaded girl in a practice match. He hit her on the head with a tennis ball on purpose. That was a sign that this place was driving him nuts. He had to get a break.

Neji was actually happy to be in art class. It was easier than the tryouts. Today was make a mosiac day. His looked like him strangling Hinata. The art teacher suggested he visit the counselor. Of course, he didn't have time, so he skipped it and ran on to softball tryouts.

Softball tryouts. Why did they call it softball? It was not soft at all! Neji was relieved that the bunheaded girl and her friend weren't here though. He ran on to the fencing tryouts with an icepack taped to his head.

Once again, that bunheaded girl and her friend were at the tryouts. But this time, they weren't trying out. They were already on the team. Neji found, after his first try, that he wasn't half bad. Or half good. At least he didn't die.

Martial arts! Finally! He couldn't wait to--

" Neji! Is that you?!"

Neji spun around. There, to his horror, was that ridiculous kid, Lee, who used to follow him around at his old school! Neji scowled. No way was he going to see him like this! He looked as girly as he could.

" What?! I'm Hana! Neji's my cousin!"

Lee looked embarassed. He turned bright red.

" Sorry! I am so sorry! You just kind of look like each other because you're related! But don't worry you're pretty! You don't look anything like a guy! I can't believe I--"

The bunheaded girl interrupted.

" Don't tell me, you mistook someone for a guy again. Lee this is an all girls school! There are no boys here!"

Lee still looked embarassed, but he was quiet now. Poor Lee, the clueless victim of cross-dressing.

The bunheaded girl turned and smiled at Neji as if she had never seen him before.

" Hi! I'm Tenten! Remember me? We're in some of the same classes."

More like all! Neji thought dryly. He smiled slightly back.

" I'm Hana, and you're in all my classes."

Tenten cocked her head to one side.

" Really? You'd think I would've noticed something like that."

Yeah, you'd think, Neji thought to himself. Tenten turned and grabbed her friend with the ridiculously long hair by the arm and pulled her over. She smiled at Neji again.

" Hana, this is Kin. Kin this is Hana. Hana's in all the same classes as us, can you believe we didn't notice?"

Kin looked surprised.

" Really?"

Neji ground his teeth. For crying out loud, he even sat next to them! How clueless were these people. He quickly slipped away, and began stretching. These two were incredibly annoying.

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and a man in a spandex suit similar to Lee's stepped through. He gave them all a wide grin.

" I am your youthful instructor Gai, and this is my youthful assistant, Lee!!"

Neji could already feel a vein throbbing.

**Yeah, the next tryout is in the next chapter. It's going to be longer than the rest, so I thought I'd give about half a chapter or so. And I'm lazy. Thanks for all the reviews, they really keep me going!**


	6. Hinata is so dead

**Hey there! I still don't own anything mentioned in this story! Thanks for all the reviews, the make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!**

Neji struggled his way through martial arts tryouts. It wasn't that he wasn't good at martial arts, it was that Gai kept mistaking him for...well...himself. He had to keep reminding him that he was Hana.

" I told you! My name is _not_ Neji! I'm Hana! Stop calling me a boy!"

And everytime, Gai would smile, nod, apologize, and then call him Neji again a few minutes later.

At precisely five o'clock, Neji stumbled into the dining hall. He grabbed his dinner and sought out the hockey table again. They were actually rather...welcoming. In fact, they'd given him a nickname. And it wasn't Miss Piggy.

" Hey NewKid!"

Yes, Neji liked this table. He could see Hinata looking at him as if he were insane from across the dining hall, but once again he ignored her, since it was her fault he had to try out for nine different things today.

" Hey, NewKid, are you going to try out for the hockey team?"

Neji plunked his face down in his food.

...

Later that evening, he was sitting in his bed catching up on that day's homework when Hinata came in. She smiled and gave him a small wave, but he frowned and ignored her.

She looked slightly guilty.

" Are you still angry with me?"

Neji continued frowning, and pretended to do his homework. In actuality, he couldn't concentrate very well, and kept reading the same question over and over again. He was exhausted. Now was not a good time for a heart to heart with Hinata. Maybe if he ignored her, she'd go away.

Then he heard a sniffle. Not again. He looked up. Sure enough, Hinata was trying not to cry. Neji sighed. He patted the part of the bed next to him. Hinata stopped sniffing immediately and eagerly took the seat next to him. She smiled at him.

" So, how did tryouts go?"

Neji had the sneaking suspicion she'd been acting, but he decided to let it go. He was tired, and he didn't want to make her cry for real.

" Pretty...strangely. I can tell you right now that I did not make the dance team. Speaking of which, why did you sign me up for the dance team? And cheerleading? Are you trying to get me caught?"

Hinata shook her head.

" Those ones weren't my idea, Neji. Ino did those ones. She said you seemed like the graceful type. "

Neji's eyebrows shot up his forehead. Sure he wasn't clumsy, but...graceful? No, he was 0not0 graceful. Girls were graceful, and he was not a girl, therefore he was not graceful...

" Are you feeling okay Neji?"

Hinata waved her hand in front of his face.

" Hello? Neji?"

Neji caught her hand, causing her to squeak with surprise.

" I'm fine. But I am not graceful."

Hinata looked away. She was trying to hide the smile on her face.

...

Neji walked with dread to the bulletin board the next morning. This was the deciding day. This was when he would find out where he would be trapped for the rest of the year. This was the day when they posted the results of the tryouts.

Neji anxiously scanned the lists, while the girls also anxiously scanned next to him. They were anxious for a different reason, though. Neji smiled in triumph when he found his name was not on the dance team list. Other girls who didn't find their names burst into tears.

He didn't make the basketball team either. Good.

He already knew he hadn't made the Drama Club, but he checked anyway, just in case.

He'd made archery, and so had Tenten and Kin. Maybe he could resign early on.

He'd made the tennis team too, as had Tenten. But, there was no sign of Kin's name on the list.

" Kin! Kin! You're not on the list! Why not?!"

" Don't worry, Tenten, I'm still on archery, fencing, and martial arts with you. It's fine."

" No it's not!"

Neji tuned out the rest of their conversation. He hadn't made softball either. Though he did get an honorable mention, since he'd gotten hit on the head.

Nor had he gotten on fencing. Imagine that.

Neji started in surprise when he looked at the martial arts team list. He checked it twice just to be sure. His name wasn't on it! That was the only team he actually wanted to be on!! Oh well, he didn't need a team to do martial arts, he would practice on his own, in the gym. When no one else was there, of course.

Neji scanned the cheerleading next. His jaw dropped, and he ripped the list down from the bulletin board, causing the other girls to yell at him. He went over it again and again, until the other girls managed to tear it from him. One of the girls looked at the list and shrieked.

" You took my spot on the team!! They did it on purpose!! That Tamaka!! I'm going to kill her!!"

She stormed off. Neji frowned. Great. Just great. He was stuck on the cheerleading team to get back at another girl. He was going to kill Hinata.

...

Hinata hummed merrily about her way. She had no idea what was coming in the next few minutes, and how much trouble she was going to be in. In fact, as far as she knew, she was still on good terms with her cousin. She sat down at the her table for breakfast. The other girls immediately pounced on her to find out how project Hana was coming along.

Ino, was of course, the most curious.

" How's she doing? Did she make anything?"

Hinata shrugged.

" I won't know until she tells me. She should be coming pretty soon. "

Hinata scanned the room, and spotted Neji on the other side of the dining hall. She waved and smiled. Neji glared at her and came walking across with a purposeful stride. Hinata shrank back fearfully in her seat. Boy, did he look mad!

" Um, Hi Hana..."

" Don't you 'Hi Hana' me! You are dead! What were you thinking?!"

" Please don't yell at me!"

" Don't yell at you?! That's the least of your worries!"

" N-"

" Hey! What's going on over here?!"

Tenten had interrupted at a good time, actually, though she didn't know it. She crossed her arms and looked at Neji accusingly. Kin was standing right behind her, backing her up with a glare. Neji crossed his arms and became calm again.

" None of your business." He told them calmly.

Tenten frowned.

" I don't like girls who pick on their little sisters." She informed him.

' Well, you're in luck, I'm not a girl, and she's not my little sister.' Neji's brain thought snidely. Neji mentally kicked himself.

" Well I don't like girls who stick their noses into other people's business!"

" If I ever see you threatening her again, you are in trouble, got it?"

Neji raised an eyebrow. She was threatening him? Who did she think she was?

" If you ever threaten me again, you'll be in trouble, got it?"

Tenten, however, just chuckled.

" You're threatening me? I'll have you know I was the martial arts champion at my last school, not to mention that I am also the fencing champion at this school, and the champion archer. Think about that for a few minutes, okay?"

Tenten turned and left, Kin following, who mouthed ' You're so dead.' at Neji.

Neji was going to have to talk to Hinata later, in private, when there weren't self proclaimed little sister saviors around.

**Okay, I know I told somebody he wouldn't make cheerleading, but I suddenly though " Hey, wouldn't that be funny?"**

**So yeah, I'm obviously very original. Not! Thanks to everyone who suggested it!**


	7. Hockey jock!

**This was written on and off for about a month, so if it seems ADD, that would be why.**

**I own nothing!**

During morning classes, Neji waited for lunch, so he could talk to Hinata in private. And he cursed the fact that he sat next to Tenten and Kin in every class now. They were constantly passing things back and forth and "accidentally" knocking him on the head.

When lunch finally came around, however, Neji discovered that Tenten and Kin were now sitting at Hinata's table. He glared at them and then went to take his seat at the hockey table. He found, however, that they did not want him there.

" Go sit with your cheerleader friends, Newkid!"

Neji looked over at the cheerleaders table. They were all either fixing their hair, their makeup, or, eating their tiny excuse for a lunch. He groaned and rolled his eyes.

" Seriously, I would rather die."

One of the hockey players shook her head sagely.

" Should have thought of that before you tried out, Newkid."

Neji glared across the dining hall at Hinata. He was going to kill her. He turned back to the hockey players.

" My sister signed me up, okay? And I only got on the squad because someone wanted to have revenge against another girl who was also trying out!"

The hockey players were silent for a minute. Neji turned to leave, only to be caught by the sleeve and yanked into a seat by one of the girls. They all grinned at him. A red head, who he assumed was the team captain, leaned across the table towards him.

" You want to sit here, you have to try out for the hockey team."

Neji considered it for a second, then nodded. Anything was better than sitting with the cheerleaders.

----

After lunch break, he headed straight to tryouts. It actually wasn't such a bad fit, the hockey uniform ( along with the padding) made him feel somewhat masculine again. The fact that it was purple detracted from it a little, but not much.

He'd done some skating before. It was more like figure skating though, and the other girls laughed at his awkardness on the hockey skates. He got the hang of it, though. He soon found himself whizzing up and down the rink, chasing and sometimes controlling the puck.

By the end of tryouts, he was certain he'd made it on the team. He waited ten minutes before heading into the locker room, to ensure that the other girls would be dressed and almost done. As he entered, the other girls clapped him on the back and congratulated him. A blonde with ponytails gave him the thumbs up.

" Way to go, Newkid! You made the team!"

Neji smiled back. The red head walked into the center of the locker room. She cleared her throat, and the rest of the girls became quiet, to better hear what their captain had to say.

" This calls for a celebration. Friday, five o'clock Ichiraku's." She announced, and was quickly met by cheering. Neji looked at the girl with ponytails questioningly. The blonde rolled her eyes.

" You know, the ramen shop down the street!"

Neji blinked. Ramen beat cafeteria food, he decided. All this trouble just to sit at a particular table. This place was getting to him.

-----

Cheerleader practice was later, he had maybe half an hour before then. Now would be a good time to "talk" to Hinata. He walked briskly into the room he shared with Hinata. To his surprise, though he later surmised he should have been expecting this, Tenten and Kin were there with Hinata, working on homework. Tenten looked up and grinned cheerily.

" Oh, hi Hana. Your sister invited us to do homework in her room. We can move to our room if it bothers you."

Hinata smiled weakly at Neji. She knew he was very angry and wanted to talk to her about it, but she really didn't want to be alone in the same room as him, all alone.

Neji glared and went straight to his bed to study instead. He didn't want to have another confrontation with Tenten, not for the moment at least. He cleared his throat.

" I made the hockey team, Hinata."

Hinata made a small fear noise. Apparently, she took it to be some sort of threat. Tenten looked at him suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes back, and then went back to his schoolwork. He read his book and waited patiently for the lights-out five minute warning.

When the bell finally rang, he looked up and smiled at Tenten and Kin.

" I guess you'd better be going. See you tommorrow."

Tenten glared over at Neji.

" If she has so much as one fingernail broken by you, you'll pay, got it?"

Neji rolled his eyes. Like he was going to be bullied by some girl. He could easily best her in a fight.

Tenten and Kin left, and the second they did, Hinata leapt behind the bed, to keep something between her and Neji. Neji looked over calmly.

" Stop jumping round like a scared mouse, Hinata."

Hinata paused and peeped over the edge of her bed at Neji. Neji smirked. The lights-out bell clanged in the background.

" You won't be able to get away anyway."

Hinata squeaked with fear, forgetting the fact that Neji was forbidden by clan law to harm a hair on her head.

" I'm really sorry Neji, I was just trying to help!"

Neji seemed to contemplate the apology for a little bit. He looked back at Hinata.

" Tell you what, I won't hurt you if you will stop hanging around Tenten and Kin. They are bad influences on you, you know."

Hinata nodded vigorously.

" Okay, I'll stay away from them."

Neji smiled.

" I'm so glad we could reach an understanding. Now turn the lights off, the bell just rang a minute ago."

**Neji manipulating Hinata. I always love to write that! Please review, reviews are like music to my ears!!**


	8. You've got a friend in me

**I know, I know, I haven't updated for a few months. I have plenty of good excuses to spew out if you ask!**

**I don't own any of the characters, just the idea!**

Neji woke earlier than Hinata that morning, stretching easily. He headed out for the inner court yard of the school. It was a good spot to practice martial arts, since he hadn't made the team.

It was early, so early the sun hadn't even risen yet. No one was supposed to be up, and Neji was going to take advantage of this.

He went through a few easy katas, before moving on to tougher routines. After that, he began to do his strength exercises. He'd been doing these since he was little, as part of his training to protect Hinata.

He sat back after a couple minutes, wiping the sweat from his face. Since there was no one else up, he was training shirtless, as he'd always done. The last thing he needed was to overheat, after all.

He was thinking things over at the moment, lost in thought. Cheerleading. Ugh. It was a good cover, he had to admit, but it was 0cheerleading0.

He'd simply have to quit.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tenten marched into the courtyard, hands on her hips.

"I knew there was something strange about you." She announced, pointing an accusing finger, while Neji scurried to get a shirt on, and cover himself up.

"It's not what you--" He began, but she interrupted him.

"I've figured it out, Hana, if that's your real name. You are _not_ a girl!" She'd hit the nail on the head. What on earth was she doing up so early?!

Neji quickly tried to think of a good explanation...the truth wouldn't be too bad of one...

He stood there blankly for a couple seconds, Tenten glaring at him accusingly.

"You're right, I'm not a girl." He finally conceded, using his normal voice. He slipped back on his shirt.

Tenten rolled her eyes.

"No, really? Why are you in this school then?! Are you some freaky crossdressing pervert?!"

Neji flinched slightly. This did look pretty bad.

"No. I'm here to guard my cousin. She's the heir to our clan." He explained with a sigh, readjusting his long hair in its low pony tail.

Tenten blinked.

"You're cousins? So even the sister thing was a lie?" She asked, scratching her head, wondering what was true about the two of them.

Neji gave her a look.

"Obviously, if I'm male, I can't be her sister." He deadpanned. Tenten jabbed him in reply.

"I know that! I meant siblings...duh..." Tenten trailed off, scratching the back of her neck. "You're supposed to guard her, huh? They couldn't find a girl?"

Neji scowled slightly, shrugging.

"I've been assigned to her since she was three, why would something like gender get in the way?" He replied somewhat bitterly.

Tenten noticed the change in attitude; obviously, Neji had no desire to be here. And a single idea popped into her head: this guy needed a friend.

---

An hour or two later, Kin was startled out of her wits to find "Hana" sitting at their breakfast table. Even more surprising was the fact that Tenten was sitting there too, and she wasn't trying to make him move. In fact, they were speaking cordially.

Hinata's shock outweighed Kin's, to say the least, as the loud clatter she made when she dropped her tray testified to. Almost all eyes in the near tables turned to look at her, as she turned red and cringed with embarassment at her reaction.

Neji stood and "rescued" her, moving her to the table he and Tenten were sitting at.

All Hinata could do was stutter, while Kin demanded that Tenten tell her why the "creep" was sitting at their table. Tenten shrugged slightly.

"We have stuff in common..." She evaded. Neji also shrugged, acting casual.

"Besides, I need to make sure you aren't teaching my cou-sister anything weird." Neji kept a straight face, despite his slip of the tongue.

Hinata looked quickly at Neji, raising an eyebrow. Since when did Neji care...?

Neji quickly dispelled any warm fuzzy feelings Hinata might've been beginning to have with a cold glare.

"Stop sitting there with your mouth hanging open like an idiot!" He snapped.

Kin looked ready to pummel "Hana", but instead took a seat, sliding in between Hinata and Neji. Poor girl, having to have such a nasty big sister. Tenten poked Neji with her fork, giving him a reproachful look. He sighed.

"Sorry I snapped at you, Hinata." Then he immediately began to eat his food, not bothering to pay her any mind.

Hinata was more than confused by her cousin's strange behavior...she'd have to ask him about it later...

---

The rest of the day, Hinata only saw Neji again at lunch. It seemed that, however, he was having a better time at the school. Tenten seemed to be...friendly towards him. So when Neji came into the room that night, Hinata turned away from her homework, eager to know what was going on.

"Nii-san?"

"What?"

Hinata fidgeted slightly, wondering exactly how she should word this.

"You, um, did you have a good day today?"

Neji shrugged, getting out his homework and setting it up at his desk. He pulled on a pair of pants beneath the skirt he'd been wearing, making sure Hinata had remembered to turn away while he was changing. Did he ever loathe skirts...

"It was tolerable." He replied evenly.

"Oh, um...Tenten seemed nice..." Hinata was poking her fingers together in a shy manner, as if hesitant to say anything.

"It's killing you, isn't it?" He looked at her knowingly.

Hinata shook her head quickly.

"Oh, no, I was just wondering..."

"...how I got to be on good terms with her?" Neji finished, busily finger combing his hair. He paused to look over at her seriously. "She knows."

Hinata looked startled.

"Knows what?!" She asked, though she already knew the answer.

Neji rolled his eyes, going back to finger combing.

"That I'm male. Luckily, she's decided to help us keep this little secret. So let's try to keep on her good side, all right?" He said the last part in a rather condescending way, and Hinata looked away. Neji sighed slightly, feeling a little guilty for making Hinata feel bad. It wasn't really her fault he was stuck here, after all. Though she was easier to vent at than Hiashi.

"Need any help with your homework?"

Hinata brightened, immediately scuttling with her books over to Neji's desk. They spent the rest of their evening working in relative friendliness. He'd beat her up later for the cheerleader thing...

**Isn't Neji just the most awesomeness cousin ever? _**

**Anyway, don't forget to review, because I absolutely love reviews!!**


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